Canary Islands: A sailing paradise for professionals and top athletes

The Canary Islands have established themselves as a Mecca for sailors of all abilities. Just a four-hour flight from mainland Europe, the archipelago in the Atlantic offers unique conditions for water sports. Constant trade winds, pleasant temperatures all year round and varied coastal landscapes make the islands an ideal training ground and regularly attract Olympic sailing teams, professional regatta sailors and ambitious amateurs.

Perfect conditions for top athletes

The special natural conditions of the Canary Islands challenge sailors and allow them to surpass themselves. The combination of favourable climatic conditions, varied geography and the atmosphere shaped by the Atlantic makes the archipelago one of the most popular destinations for year-round sailing training. Olympians and America's Cup teams use the islands as a base for their preparation. For example, María Cantero, a member of the Spanish women's team in the 37th America's Cup, regularly trains on the Canary Islands. María is a native Canarian and benefits from the excellent sailing conditions on the islands for her training and her professional development as a top athlete. "On the Canary Islands, you can adapt your training sessions to the wind strength you need at the time. You can choose between several islands and even change locations within a zone to find exactly the conditions you need," explains María Cantero.

"Being able to train on the Canary Islands helps you to be consistent. The weather conditions are very important and on the Canary Islands they are ideal all year round. So you don't have to worry about the weather. That makes all the difference if you want to dedicate yourself to high-performance sport," says Joel Rodríguez, who won the prize for the Best Foiling Team with the Foiling Awards 2025 and was a member of the Spanish team that took part in the SailGP of the 2024 season and emerged victorious.

Reliable winds as a trump card

A decisive advantage of the Canary Islands is the constant trade winds. These north-easterly winds blow practically all year round and reach strengths of 12 to 20 knots in winter. As a result, the islands offer ideal training conditions even in the cold season, when many Mediterranean regattas have to take a break. The reliability of the winds allows sailors to plan their training sessions precisely and make the most of every day.

Mild temperatures all year round

The climate of the Canary Islands is another plus point for sailors. Temperatures between 19°C and 25°C prevail all year round with over 4,800 hours of sunshine per year. This allows for long training sessions without the need for special cold weather gear. The water temperatures also remain pleasant all year round at 18°C to 23°C. Joel Rodríguez, flight controller of the Spanish SailGP team, emphasises: "Being able to train on the Canary Islands helps us to be consistent. The weather conditions are very important and in the Canary Islands they are ideal all year round."

Versatile training options

The geographical diversity of the Canary Islands is another advantage for sailors. Each island and even each coast offers different wind, wave and current conditions. This allows teams to find conditions similar to different competition venues without having to change base. Lanzarote attracts hundreds of Olympic sailors every year, but Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Palma are also popular with the international sailing fleet.

Comprehensive infrastructure for top-class sport

The Canary Islands offer not only ideal natural conditions, but also an excellent infrastructure for sailing. Traditional yacht clubs, specialised shipyards, adapted logistics services and daily flight connections to Europe make it possible to organise longer stays and international events. María Cantero emphasises: "Many Olympic sailors have chosen the islands for their campaigns. Not only because of the sailing conditions, but also because of the many other possibilities such as hiking trails and natural roads."

The Marina Rubicón marina on Lanzarote has played a key role in the current upturn in Olympic sailing. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, 21 of the medallists in sailing chose this marina as their training base at some point during their preparation; at Paris 2024, the figure was 19. In the same season, between October and March, the marina hosted 1,200 athletes from 24 countries. Two Olympic qualifying competitions and 24 championships were held in eight different Olympic boat classes - including four official Olympic classes. In addition, almost all European sailing associations now have a permanent base in the Marina Rubicón. Events such as the iQFOiL series, the Lanzarote International Regatta (now planned for 2026), the ILCA U21 World Championship (on 16 January) and part of the TP52 series are regularly held there between June and July.

Summary:

Best time to travel:

• Peak season: All year round
• Wind conditions: Trade winds from the north-east, 12-20 knots in winter
• Water temperature: 18-23°C
• Air temperature: 19-25°C

Journey:

• Distance to the mainland: 4 hours flight from Europe
• Flight connections: Daily flights to the islands

Spots:

• Main spots: Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma
• Suitable for: Olympic sailing, professional regatta sailors, amateurs

Further information is available at: www.hallokanarischeinseln.com